Thursday, January 28, 2010

THEY say there is nothing new under the sun. That is a very sweeping statement, and like most sweeping statements, not true. It would be truer to say there is very little new under the sun. And this would be as true of plants as of most things. We often speak of a "new" plant. What we really mean is that the plant is new to us, or to our own horticultural world. But more often than not the plant is centuries—ages —old. In some part of the world it has been growing wild since before the time primitive man walked the earth. It may be new to the gardens of the world, or, what is more usual, to our country's gardens.I well remember showing a woman gardener around my garden one day, and as she came to any plant she did not know, she asked: "Is that new?" Well, I stood it for awhile, and then, my patience evaporating. I asked her: "What do you mean by 'new'? Do you mean is it new to cultivation, or new to New Zealand, or do you really mean new?" For all the plants at which she was looking were wild plants, collected in other countries, and only cultivated in my garden,A new plant is one that is new not only to horticulture, but to the world, and these plants may be obtained by an occasional "break" amongst wild plants, or a natural hybrid, by which is meant a plant that is the progeny of a cross occurring amongst wild plants, and resulting accidental cross-pollination between two related plants. Or again a new plant can be obtained by artificial cross pollination. These man-made plants are called garden hybrids, and are quite strictly "new" plants during an indefinite number of years, until, in fact, they have been distributed and grown in other gardens.We are getting very used to new plants in these days of specialised gardeners, who are frequently offering us new gladioli, new roses, new irises, new pansies, etc., etc. It takes something very novel or very beautiful, to give us a real thrill, but during the last few years I have experienced a real thrill out of seeing two new Bearded Irises. I saw them in Mrs W. R. Stevens garden at Wanganui, and realise they are not yet available to the gardener in New Zealand, but I believe they will become available within the next few years, and since a peep into the future is always intriguing, I should like to tell you about them. In fact I can do even better than that, for this month's "New Zealand Gardener" is illustrating one of them on its cover.This illustration is from a natural colour photograph. Having seen it I feel I should like to comment briefly on this colour plate. The plate is an extremely good one, but as in all colour plates I have seen the yellow appears to have gained a slightly orange cast. The name of the iris is Pinnacle, and it was raised by Mrs. Stevens. As I saw it the standards of the flower were dead white, and the falls light lemon yellow.This variety Pinnacle was what is called a planned cross, that is the breeder started out to raise just such an iris. The original parent was a creamy white flower, with faint gold pencilling at the shaft of the fall, and a series of crosses was embarked on with the idea of breeding a white and yellow bicolour iris. Pinnacle is the result of generations of breeding. Its lovely flower has most of the iris virtues in full measure, heavy substance, clean colour, lovely attractive form, and large size. Mrs. Stevens assures me it also has a good constitution, and is a quick increaser.The other new iris of which I promised to tell was, in fact, rather a new family of Bearded Irises, as there are quite a number now in this group of the ethereally lovely new pale pink irises. American breeders have made the greatest progress in this colour class, though the colour "break" has also occurred amongst the English raisers' seedlings. These new pale pinks bear no resemblance to what we have in the past called pink irises, that is, orchid pinks, or lilac pink with the warming influence of lemon or yellow undertone or blending.The new pinks all have pink buds, and share another feature also, a bright brick-red, flame, or tangerine beard. Of these pinks, the best are perhaps Dr. Loomis's Sea Shell Pinks, and Mr. Dave Hall's Flamingo pinks.They vary in the different named varieties, but all are definitely true pale pinks. Last year I saw one of Mr. Hall's unnamed Flamingo Pinks seedlings flowering at Mrs. Stevens. The colour of this was the colour of the flesh of a watermelon, with just that frosted iridescence. The lovely tangerine beard blends most sympathetically with the delicate toning. I understand that Dr. Loomis's, 'Spindthrift' is due to flower in this garden next November. In America it is rated the best of the Sea Shell Pinks.I believe Mrs. Stevens has embarked on a new line of crossing, combining these two new irises, and hopes in time to obtain a flower with white standards and pale pink falls. Such a combination, particularly if she manages to retain the tangerine beard, will be exquisite.

The above Article is a complete unedited facsimile and is courtesy of New Zealand Gardener September 1947 "Irisarian" is one of the pen names used by Wally Stevens (Jeans husband) who also wrote under another pen name Silver Birch. The above photo on the cover was in all probability the first published image of "Pinnacle" and the first introduction of the variety to the gardening public published 2 years before its international coordinated sale in 1949 by Stevens Bros. for the New Zealand and Australian market, Schreiners for the North American market , and Orpington Nurseries and Co. for the English market, all of this some 2½ years before the inception of the New Zealand Iris Society.

Big Top hat tip to fellow blogger Gareth Winter for his considered thoughts and help.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Laced Cotton is a Schreiners recessive white with a delicate and ruffled chiffon appearance,which belies its super substance and resistance to moderately bad weather conditions. Considered by some to being a Cool or Cold White its ruffling adds a warmth and another dimension to the bloom. I have listed two catalogue entries from Schreiner, the original Introduction in 1980 where it states pure white, and the 2000 catalogue description that mentions a very faint lavender-orchid tint when blooms first open. Grown at home alongside a reasonable planting of the herbaceous peony, Festiva Maxima, (Mielles, 1851, an historic fragrant white double, with occasional crimson flecks on petals). Our purely accidentalplanting does make a great visual combination. 'Laced Cotton' was registered in 1978, so is now unbelievably classified as a Historic Iris.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

It is my opinion, no historical Iris collection is complete without "Quaker Lady"I like to think this iris is part of my Table Irises collection. Smaller flowers on zig-zag branching but makes up for the limited bud count per stem by being a vigorous grower that clumps up well, quickly producing multiple flower stalks in turn creating a mass bloom effect. The photo I hope captures the beauty of this classic and subtle diploid Iris.

From Cornell Extension Bulletin 112, 1925: Color effect a smokey lavender, ageratum-blue, bronzed and blended bicolor. S. pale purplish vinaceous, of silky surface texture, bronzed throuout. F. mauvette to deeper ageratum-violet, bronzing at the edge and becoming yellow-olive on outer haft. Reticulations deep gold to olive brown.The beard is fine, projecting, and yellow-orange, and the styles are cream-buff tinged at the base. The growth is vigorous, and the plant has lax, slender,deep yellow-green leaves, tinged at the base. The flowering stalks are freely produced, above medium height, well branched, and carry their numerous blooms in a fine mass. The soft, smokey lavender, blending with old gold in the fair-sized, firm-textured flowers, is very pleasing when used in mass with bright yellows. This variety is a late bloomer. Rating 84.

Lee R. Bonnewitz Catalog,Van Wert, Ohio,1928. QUAKER LADY (Farr) This beautiful medium sized Iris has been most appropriately named, for its colors remind us of a Quaker Lady of old schools. The colors, while not striking, are very attractive, for the standards are a smoky-lavender shaded somewhat with yellow, and it's falls are blue and old gold was bronze and yellow markings. It has a splendid orange beard. When grown in front of the stately MADAME DURRAND the combination is most excellent. We recommend it on account of its beauty, its ability to multiply rapidly, and its great vigour.

AIS Checklist 1929QUAKER LADY TB 27" M S3L,(Farr, 1909) Class VI a (1) AAA 142 (SQUALENS x pallida)RHS CLASS VI description is as follows; Varieties with standards of shot shades, that is, of any shade due to a mixture of two colours of which one is always yellow, the yellow being always evident at the base of the standards.The subdivision of the class are according tp the predominance or otherwise of the yellow.a. Yellow scarcely perceptible(1) Pale blue or lavender(2) Rose or pale pink

In New Zealand it can be purchased from Julie May at The Iris Garden Christchurch, also available in the USA from Iris City Gardens, 3 rhizomes for $15.00 which to me sounds like a very good deal. .

Clicking the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Heritage Irises are privileged to display for our visitors three of the many 2010 Introductions By Sergey Loktev of Russia. This Tall Bearded Iris has a look tailored for the discerning Iris grower with multi choice requirements all packaged into one bloom that plays with the light of day, and as we are all aware there is no time limits on Dreams, so we can look forward to more Irises "From Russia First Class"

Heritage Irises are privileged to display for our visitors three of the many 2010 Introductions By Sergey Loktev of Russia.

Second up today an attention grabbing Border Bearded Iris in purple-black with just the right amount of ruffling. I mean lets face it no other plant that can be grown by any level of Gardener, could put on a "Knock your socks off display"in Black, as well as the Bearded Iris.

As always, clicking the image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat tip to Anton Mego, and it is an absolute privilege to help you get the profile that you so justly deserve. Well done mate!!!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year to you all.I have been happily helping a Commercial grower sort out the names of irises with lost ID's in the last two weeks, and when researching an Iris "Broadway Star" Robert Schreiner had also made the following comments in the 1957 catalogueA GLIMPSE OF OUR DISPLAY GARDEN. Pictured below is a portion of our display garden photographed in May 1956. The visitors are Mrs Jean Stevens The President of the New Zealand Iris Society and Marion Walker President of the American Iris Society, Mrs Stevens is the noted antipodean Iris hybridizer whose very original creations (such as Pinnacle, Polar Cap, Mystic Melody), it has been our privilege to introduce in recent years. And we are impatiently awaiting the first bloom here in America of her new red and white amoena, 'Finest Hour'.Last year at iris time Mr. and Mrs. Stevens made their first trip to the United States, where Mrs Stevens was the honoured guest of the American Iris Society at their annual convention in Los Angeles. Later Mr. and Mrs. Stevens spent a fortnight with us. Their penetrating understanding of Iris, broad knowledge of Horticulture and keen humour made their visit as delightful as it was memorable.

Courtesy of Schreiners 1957 catalog

This made me think to post a article on Jean Stevens Irises MIA (Missing in Action) and there is no better variety to start the new decade with than 'FINEST HOUR'. If you have seen this iris growing in New Zealand please do not hesitate to contact me.

Stevens Bros. Catalogue 1958-59FINEST HOUR (Stevens)Over the years we have raised and introduced many outstanding Irises, but our speciality has been in the breeding of different Amoenas and many of these are grown widely throughout the world. It has been our pride that we introduced the first Yellow amoena "Pinnacle" ; the first white and pastel lavender, "Polar Cap", the first white and Pastel Blue,"Alpine Meadow". We feel very happy therefore to introduce another "first",a red and white amoena, Finest Hour as a swan song to this our last year in commercial iris growing. Until Finest Hour opened its first blossom on a seedling plant an iris with clean white standards and rich plum red falls had flowered only in the imagination of breeders.The firmly closed standards of this new iris are snowy white except down towards the hafts where they are faintly flushed with lemon chartreuse. The falls are rounded and the glowing colour is rich and even. The branching is excellent, and the whole plant is a vigorous grower and an exceptionally fast increaser. Very early flowering, it is one of the first varieties to open but remains in flower over a long season. 3 ½ ft. 50/-

Schreiners Iris Lovers Catalog 1958FINEST HOUR (Stevens 1958) E. 38"For years, hybridizers have dreamed of producing a red and white amoena but with scant hope of success since nature produces amoenas only in the violet and white form. However, Mrs. Stevens of New Zealand, whose magic touch produced the first yellow and white amoenas, has now startled the Iris world with the first red and white amoena. FINEST HOUR possess snow white standards faintly brushed lemon-chartreuse at the base of the midribs, together with plum-red falls of sharply flaring form. A nicely branched Iris that will be very distingue in the garden clump and which will, of course, be of unique interest to hybridizers. $20.00

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man".

George Bernard Shaw

WELCOME

HERITAGE IRISES

INDEPENDENT ALWAYS

Welcome to Heritage Irises, and
do make yourself at home. The blog shares the magic of Irises and
will feature some very special New Zealand raised varieties
including the brilliance of our very own Jean Stevens (1900-1967).
Each and every iris growing in New Zealand are a part of our Iris
Heritage and will all become historic or heirloom irises one day so
why not start early and give them all a good home! Writing and
researching about heirloom irises is just a hobby and the blog is my
diary notes and observations of the Irises I grow and like at
home.I'm really enjoying myself, although blogging is a lot like a
virus that invades the mind and body and you can't rid yourself of
it, in the nicest possibly way of course. Click on any photo to view
a larger image.

They took all the trees And put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people A dollar and a half just to see 'emDon't it always seem to go,That you don't know what you've got 'Til it's gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot Yellow Taxi

Joni Mitchell

A 10 year old 5.1 mega pixel Fuji Finepix S5600 digital camera has been used exclusively for all photos able to be viewed on the blog that are accredited to Iris Hunter. Why such an old camera you may ask? Well its an easy camera to work with, but more importantly it reinforces my view that you don't have to invest thousands of dollars in equipment to produce a reasonably swish Blog

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